Antirrhinum plant named ‘Keianmilkwam’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Antirrhinum  plant named ‘Keianmilkwam’, characterized by its vigorous, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit and short internodes; dense and bushy plant form; numerous white and yellow bi-colored flowers; long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Antirrhinum hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KEIANMILKWAM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAntirrhinum, botanically known as Antirrhinum hybrida and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Keianmilkwam’.

The new Antirrhinum is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Chiba, Japan. The objective of the breeding programis to create new compact and freely flowering potted Antirrhinums withunique flower coloration.

The new Antirrhinum originated from a cross-pollination in Chiba, Japanin June, 2000 of two unidentified proprietary selections of Antirrhinumhybrida, not patented. The cultivar Keianmilkwam was discovered andselected by the Inventors as a flowering plant from within the progenyof the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Chiba,Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new Antirrhinum by cuttings in a controlledenvironment in Chiba, Japan since May, 2001, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Antirrhinum are stable and reproduced true to typein successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Keianmilkwam has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Keianmilkwam’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Keianmilkwam’ as a new and distinct cultivarof Antirrhinum:

-   -   1. Vigorous, upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit and short internodes; dense and bushy        plant form.    -   3. Numerous white and yellow bi-colored flowers.    -   4. Long flowering period.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Antirrhinum differ from plants of the female parentselection primarily in flower color as plants of the female parent.

Plants of the new Antirrhinum differ from plants of the male parentselection primarily in plant size as plants of the new Antirrhinum aretaller than plants of the male parent selection. In addition, plants ofthe new Antirrhinum and the male parent selection differ in flowercolor.

Plants of the new Antirrhinum can be compared to plants of the cultivarSultan Yellow, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of thenew Antirrhinum and the cultivar Sultan Yellow differed in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Antirrhinum were more mounding than and not        as creeping as plants of the cultivar Sultan Yellow.    -   2. Plants of the new Antirrhinum were taller and broader than        plants of the cultivar Sultan Yellow.    -   3. Plants of the new Antirrhinum had larger leaves than plants        of the cultivar Sultan Yellow.    -   4. Plants of the new Antirrhinum and the cultivar Sultan Yellow        differed in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Antirrhinum, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Antirrhinum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Keianmilkwam’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowers of ‘Keianmilkwam’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in Chiba, Japan, under commercialpractice during the spring in an outdoor nursery with day temperaturesranging from about 2° C. to about 20° C. and night temperatures rangingfrom about −4° C. to about 7° C. Plants had been growing for about tenmonths in 21-cm containers when the photographs and description weretaken. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Antirrhinum hybrida cultivar Keianmilkwam.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection            of Antirrhinum hybrida, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection            of Antirrhinum hybrida, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 20° C., to 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 25 days at            20° C. to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous and fleshy; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Vigorous, upright and mounded plant habit;            broad inverted triangle. Freely branching habit with short            internodes; dense and bushy plant form.        -   Plant height.—About 35 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 60 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 24 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Internode length: About 1.3 cm. Strength: Moderately strong.            Texture: Pubescent. Color: 137D.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 3.9 cm.        -   Width.—About 9 mm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            137B; venation, 137B. Developing and fully expanded leaves,            lower surface: 147B; venation, 147B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single bi-labiate flowers arranged in            terminal racemes; flowers face outward. Freely flowering            habit with about four flowers per inflorescence and numerous            flowers developing per plant.        -   Fragrance.—Sweet.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering throughout            the spring in Japan. Flowers not persistent.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about five days on            the plant.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.            Shape: Oval. Color: 155B.        -   Flower diameter.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 2.8 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower. Upper lip, two-lobed; lower            lip, three-lobed; petals fused at the base. Length: About            3.4 cm. Width: About 2.4 cm. Shape: Upper, roughly cordate;            lower, roughly obovate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire;            weakly undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; satiny. Color: Upper petal, when opening and fully            opened, upper surface: 155B. Lower petal, when opening and            fully opened, upper surface: 155B; towards the base, 2A.            Upper and lower petals, when opening and fully opened, lower            surface: 155B.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl. Length: About 1.9 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape:            Narrowly oblong. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 143C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7.1 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 137A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            five. Anther size: About 2 mm by 1 mm. Anther shape:            Ellipse-like. Anther color: 13B. Filament color: 155D.            Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 15B. Pistils:            Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.2 cm.            Stigma shape: Oval. Stigma color: 143B. Style length: About            2 cm. Style color: 149D. Ovary color: 149D.        -   Seed.—Shape: Spherical. Length: About 0.8 mm. Diameter:            About 0.8 mm. Color: 200B.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Antirrhinum have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Antirrhinum.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Antirrhinum have been observed    to have excellent garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about −3° C., to about 25° C.

1. A new and distinct Antirrhinum plant named ‘Keianmilkwam’ asillustrated and described.